Fun in a Grand Cherokee

Did you know that it is possible to Donut a Grand Cherokee?

Certainly possible with mine. Recall a time in a secure car park at Zolder, I decided to try this out for fun. Put the car in first gear, apply some steering lock, then heavy on the right pedal.
Sure enough, the tyres lit up and the car did a neat piroutte, the muscle-car exhaust making the V8 sound great.
Just after that little exhibition, one of the site security cars turned up, as he had apparently 'told off' a TVR owner for similar childish behaviour. However, when he looked around the area, he couldn't see any vehicles that matched his expected pattern of a V8 sports car. It can't have entered his mind that the Jeep in front of him could have been the culprit :-)

It's also possible to do some low-speed 'drifting', of sorts.

On one of my regular journeys, I come to a roundabout that forms a T-junction from my direction, where I have to turn right. This happens to be quite a wide piece of tarmac, so when faced with a route around 3/4 of a roundabout, with a fair bit of space, it always seems a shame not to make the most of it.
So when there is no traffic to worry about, it is fun to go from a standing start, swing around the first part of the roundabout, taking a wide line, then tighten the line and squeeze the throttle that bit harded than is strictly necessary. Result being, if momentum is right, power oversteer that can be carried to the exit point of the roundabout, with opposite lock and throttle control leading to a nice flick off the roundabout.
This can be done in wet and dry conditions, with the security of four-wheel-drive there to allow composure to be easily regained through a bit less throttle and steering, and also helping to limit over-exuberance that could lead to loss of control or a spin in a lesser car.

It's moments like these that break up the tedium and annoyance of general driving on our crowded roads. Get some tarmac that you don't have to share with other cars, and there is fun to be had - albeit in small doses, but enough to put a grin on your face from time to time.